Chakri Dynasty

The Thai political crisis has reached another boiling point, with hardline royalists accusing a group of young law professors from the esteemed Thammasat University of attempting to overthrow the monarchy.

Parts of Bangkok and much of the country's central plain have been submerged in floodwaters for a while now, devastating people's livelihoods. Equally damaging is the political backwash that now threatens to shorten the term of Yingluck Shinawatra's government.

POVERTY DEPRIVES ITS victims of opportunities and is passed on from generation to generation. Children from impoverished families lack education, and the few who attend school will drop out early so that they can work and support their families.

In an era of digital movie trickery and bloated budgets, we're accustomed to watching big- screen historical epics with an infinite number of characters. But, in the case of Thailand's latest movie extravaganza, what you see is pretty much what you get: thousands of 16th-century warriors battling on an outdoor movie set in the lush jungle of Kanchanaburi, west of Bangkok.

'It is a great week to be Thai,' said Bangkok accountant Somchai Plengsrisuk, sitting at a food stall watching footage of international monarchs congratulate King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the 60th anniversary of his accession to the throne.

'Suddenly, for this moment, it is like we are the centre of the universe,' Mr Somchai said. 'It is all because of our king.'

Amid the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the accession of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, there is cause to worry about the future of both democracy and the monarchy in Thailand. The greater the adulation for King Bhumibol, the greater becomes the problem for when he is no longer there. Royal power now derives more from the high standing of the king than from the monarchy itself.

Three great waves of sound rose from a million voices - 'Long Live His Majesty!' Tens of thousands wept. Visibly moved, King Bhumibol Adulyadej allowed a smile to crease his famously impassive features.

Sixty years after his accession, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand remains a unique example of a constitutional monarch who is above politics but commands the authority to maintain order and stability when the nation's institutions fail in their duty to the people.